March 2, 2009 Release of The Unearthed

I've just confirmed with my publisher, Lyrical Press (www.lyricalpress.com) that The Unearthed will be available electronically on March 2, 2009. That's pretty cool. About six months later, it will be available in print as well. That's all I want to say for now, because I'll be doing heavy promotion closer to release date.

As an aside, my wife and I went to a Halloween reading on Saturday night at Rosemont College. The event doubled as a costume party, and we went as Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV's Frank of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame. (She was Forrester; I was Frank). I was quite convinced that no one would have any idea who we were.

As it turns out, I was half-right. Several people knew who she was (though I still argue that the name tag helped too much), but they didn't pick up on me being Frank. Not enough powder in my hair to make it look grey enough, and the jerry curl on the forehead wasn't eye-catching enough, I guess. Not only does that mean my costume didn't work--it also means that people think that's how I dress and wear my hair normally. I guess that's pretty funny...

Speaking of Mystery Science Theater, I think I need to dig out the old tapes and DVDs and watch me some.

Prosopagnosia

From www.dictionary.com:

prosopagnosia - pros·o·pag·no·sia (prŏs'ə-pāg-nō'zhə, -zē-ə)n. An inability or difficulty in recognizing familiar faces; it may be congenital or result from injury or disease of the brain.

About eight months ago, I was surprised to learn that such a condition existed. I went online and did a little bit of research and was engrossed by some of the stories and facts I came across. I started thinking--wouldn't that make for an interesting character, someone who has never been able to recognize anyone, including family, close friends, teachers, etc.

So I had a character. Then I needed a plot. I started hashing one out about six months ago, and it's since gone through several major changes. But I'm excited to say that the first draft of Face Blind (I know, I need a better title) is near completion. If you get a chance, check out the wikipedia entry on face blindness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_blindness. It's extremely interesting.

Oh, and go Phils!

18 Miles, More Stories, and Self-Indulgence

It's been a few days since I last wrote, so I am remiss in Blogging responsibilities. I don't have anything new to report on The Unearthed. My editor and I are just about to start the editing process, which I hope doesn't take too long.

On Saturday, I made it to 18 miles. Barely. So I'm still on track for the Philly Marathon. As long as I get up to 21 in the next three weeks, I should be fine. (Famous last words)

Nick and I recorded a short episode for Four Stories--it's up on iTunes now but hasn't made its way to our www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com just yet. All the more reason to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: you won't have to constantly check our website to see when the next episode's coming out. And we do plan on releasing a lot of short episodes in the near future, while we sort out our technical troubles on the longer ones.

By the way, I know that Blogging is inherently self-indulgent. I apologize in advance for that. It's not something I would normally do, but I've been told by my editor, fellow writers, publisher, and just about everybody else online that in order to promote a book, I need to write a Blog. But I will strive to keep the self-indulgence to a minimum. I don't think my life is intrinsically more interesting than yours; I don't think that what I have to say is earth-shattering. I don't ever want to give you that impression. If I do, make sure to send me plenty of nasty public comments.

That's all for now. If you haven't already, check out Four Stories at www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com or on iTunes. It's a good way to spend your commute or while away your time at work, AND the podcast is free.

Go Phils!

Four Stories

In case you didn't know (and you probably didn't), I'm half of the podcasting team that is Four Stories.

My good friend, Nick Hughes, and I do a podcast called Four Stories (www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com). In it, we examine film, TV, literature, and music through the lens of storytelling. That's our fancy way of saying we like to talk about stories and how they're told.

If you'd like to check the podcast out, you can download our first three full episodes from our website, OR you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We've recorded two more full episodes, but we haven't released them yet due to some major technical issues. But the good news it that while we get that mess sorted out, we're going to be recording and releasing some shorter episodes. So keep an eye out for those.

And we love to get emails and comments. The more vitriolic, the better. You can email us at fourstoriespodcast@gmail.com, or you can just leave your comment on our website (www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com) for the whole world to see.

Oh, and did I mention it's FREE?

The Philadelphia Marathon

Well, I'm a mere 7 weeks away from running the Philadelphia Marathon. This race will be my second 26.2 miler--I can't believe the last one was four years (and fifteen pounds) ago.

This time around, the training hasn't gone as well as it did before. I've had a couple non-serious, but nagging, injuries over the past three months that have kept things interesting. Today I put in 17 miles, much to the consternation of everyone else trying to use a treadmill at the gym. Just kidding--there were always at least six other treadmills open while I was running. I'm not THAT guy.

This will be my first time running Philly, so I'm excited about that. I hear nothing but good things about the race, and especially about the crowd. I've been told that some of the more enthused crowd members have been known to offer beer to runners during the race. Probably not the best idea in the world, but in all fairness, I can think of a lot of worse ideas. You know, like the submarine with screen doors, the helicopter with an ejection seat...

I'm also excited about this race because my wife and two good friends, Nate and Jess (who are married), are doing the 10K offered on the same day.

That's all for now. Back to the couch, where I'll probably stay the rest of the day, save but the few times I plod my way to the fridge to grab another water. And if I just so happen to grab a beer by mistake...

Just Signed With Lyrical Press, Inc.

I'm excited to announce that I've just signed a publishing contract with Lyrical Press, Inc. (www.lyricalpress.com) for my paranormal thriller, The Unearthed. Lyrical is an independent publisher that offers stories electronically and in print. Check out Lyrical's site when you get a chance--there's a lot of good stuff there. At this point, you'll see mainly Romance and Erotica titles there.

I will be sure to keep you updated on The Unearthed, so check back regularly. I've got another novel in the works right now, tentatively entitled Face Blind, but that's for another post. Also, I am an avid reader and movie-goer, so I might occasionally post short blogs on what I've seen or read.

Now it's time for a cross-promotional plug. My friend, Nick Hughes, and I do a podcast called Four Stories. We look at television, film, literature, and music from a storytelling perspective. We're currently on hiatus, but if you want, check out our older episodes at www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com. You can also download our episodes on iTunes. Nick and I are considering doing some minisodes in the near future, so check the Four Stories site regularly as well if you're interested.

Finally, I wanted to thank my family and friends for their support throughout the writing process. Special thanks to my wife, Jenna, for putting up with me while I spent inordinate amounts of free time on the computer, writing a story that had no guarantee of selling. Special thanks also to Nate Green, a fellow novelist (and a great writer!), who read not one but two drafts of The Unearthed and provided me with a lot of great feedback. And a special thanks to my Dad for his help with line editing and his eternally useful reminder: follow the KISS method.

Brian

www.brianorourke.blogspot.com
www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com
www.lyricalpress.com